Show Me How To Live, I'll Show You How To Die
by AsTheStarsShine2
Summary: Sylar/OC. Basically the story of Gabriel Gray, with a catch: Amelia, my OC. Rating might by slightly off. The story begins about a year before the start of the first season. The exception is the first chapter that is a prologue and is when Gabriel was 12.
1. Prologue: Guardian Angel

Prologue: Guardian Angel

"Mom!"

The man pulls Gabriel outside of his small house. The door slams shut and a piece of wood slips down to lock it from the outside before his mom can rescue him. Gabriel fights back - kicking his legs vigorously against the man, arms throwing messy punches against him in a panic. It does nothing to stop the man from dragging his twelve year old little body through the falling snow.

Gabriel screams in horror, his eyes tightly shut; someone has to hear him. was he thinking? It's Christmas Eve, everyone is no doubt out of town or visiting relatives in the city. Besides, this neighborhood was probably the least friendly of all the places and households his mom had dragged him to in the past couple of years.

Next thing Gabriel knows he's being shoved down into the snow. His glasses go flying into the air with the impact and he faintly hears them land softly somewhere near him. He stares wide-eyed up at his kidnapper, whom he notices soon after is yelling at someone to his left. He turns his head slowly to see who.

Though the image is blurry without his glasses, he can make out a small figure in front of him, possibly smaller than himself. "Do it!" he man yells at it, "Take his ability!" "But-" the figure protests quietly. Like it's image, the voice is small and high, making it obvious it was a young girl. She plays with something on her chest, a necklace. "Do you want to make me proud?" the man asks her, matching her quiet tone, only there's a slight mocking to it.

The girl rocks on her feet slightly, looking indecisive. The small glisteningpendant on the end of the gold chain twirls between her small fingers, "Iguess..."

The man notices her infatuation with the necklace and frowns. He stands therefor a moment watching her before tearing the pendant from her hands, ripping thechain off with it. She yips at the action and immediately starts to grab fori t, whining. He hangs it in front of her face mockingly then throws it to the ground. She almost dives to get it, by he stops her. He roughly spins her around to face Gabriel and pushes her toward the child, "Do it!"

Gabriel feels his body freezing, and he knows he can't take much more of this. He can hear pounding on his front door coming from the inside, fighting to get out. His mother screams for him, but he's too shocked and cold to reply. "I want to make you proud, Daddy," the little girl tells her dad, "but he's just a boy. I don't wanna kill him." Gabriel's lungs freeze up with the icy word. 'Kill'.

Gabriel manages to mumble a plea, "Please don't kill me, please." The female stares down at him and though she's still blurry, he can tell she's sympathetic. The man suddenly grabs her upper arm and pulls her toward him again, the girl yelping a bit. "Kill him." he commands through clenched teeth, his patience running dry, "Kill him, or you'll be paying for your disobedience." The girl let's out a little whimper as he tightens his grip on her arm before shoving her toward Gabriel, "Do it. Before someone comes."

She sighs. Gabriel can feel the tears creeping into his eyes as she steps forward. Kneeling down, he finally sees her face: and is it angelic. Her skin is as white as the snow, her lips and cheeks glowing red from the cold. And the most beautiful blue eyes. She smiles sadly, staring straight into his eyes as she takes his hand in hers. "I'm sorry." All Gabriel can do is whimper.

Her eyes suddenly change, the sadness leaving slightly to make room for something else, something dark. In a single swift movement she spins around and clamps her hand around the man's wrist. A death grip. Gabriel stares up at the sight, eyes wide and scared. The man yells and screams and begs for her to stop. Gabriel notices her hand getting brighter, glowing. It reminds him of the sun. After several long moments the man drops to his knees, then falls face first into the snow. And he's notmoving. She let's go finally, her small body kneeling next to his. Her hand strokes his head, "I'm sorry, Daddy. I had to do it."

And everything's silent. Everything. The mans terrified screams echo in Gabriels ears. And everything's silent. There's a distant thump on his front door; Gabriel can barely hear it.

He finally finds his voice. With a gulp to moisten his mouth he calls to the girl, "Are you okay?" She doesn't say anything, simply turns around slowly to look at him. "Are you okay?" he asks again, thinking maybe she hadn't gotten it the first time. "I think." she finally replies. Her voice is still as quiet as before.

"Is he okay?" Gabriel's voice wavers. The image is once again blurry, but he thinks he sees her shake her head. He doesn't know what to say anymore. After another few moments (or minutes, maybe; possibly an hour or so) passes by before she gets to her feet. She's a bit wobbly, Gabriel notices. He watches her shuffle through the thick snow on the ground to him. "Are you okay?" she asks. He nods his head, breathless. He makes out a small smile on her face.

She slowly pushes through the snow closer to him and bends down to pick something up from the ground. She holds it out the him. As the hand nears his face he realizes it's his glasses. He wants to take them, but his body won't move. She once again smiles.

Opening up the frames she carefully places them on his face, using her index finger to push them higher up on the bridge of his nose. Now that he can see her clearly, he can definitely tell she's younger than himself, possibly by a few years. Her warm breath swipes against his cheeks as she pushes his hair out of his face.

She scans his body, "You must be freezing." He is. Gabriel's clad in nothing but a small jacket and pajamas, which are both damp from the snow. He still doesn't think he can move. The girl proves him wrong. She goes behind him and with her help, he manages to get up off of the ground, his legs aching from lack of movement and warmth. Gabriel notices that, in spite of the fact his back is curved, she's still shorter than him by several inches, displaying the age difference once more.

They limp back to Gabriel's front door, his mom's calls becoming clear again. The girl removes barricades keeping it closed and the door immediately comes flying open to reveal the woman. "Gabriel!" she yells into the sky as she scoops him up into a hug. "Thank you Lord for keeping him safe!" she sobs into his shoulder.

Gabriel holds her tightly until his mother sets him down, and even then he keeps a good grip on her cardigan. "We should get you warmed up." she tells him after drying her tears, pushing him inside, "You must be freezing, my poor little boy." He complies for a moment, but he stops when he remembers something.

Gabriel spins around rapidly to look out the door again, just in time to see the girl - his savior - beginning to waddle away in the snow. "Wait!" he stops her, taking her arm in his hand. Her skin is cold, but there seems to be a suspicious warmth to it, as if a flame is hiding inside. "Who are you?" he asks staring into her eyes. Her deep blue ones. They seem so...old. Wise. Experienced. The eyes of a twenty year old woman on a little girl.

She smiles that same sad, sweet smile. "I guess I'm your guardian angel." And she walks off, into the falling snow on Christmas Eve, her dark hair and snow white skin disappearing completely.

Gabriel can't help, but smile contently and murmur lovingly to himself,

"Yeah, my guardian angel."


	2. In Trouble Again

In Trouble Again

Gabriel shuffles down the dimly lit sidewalk. He hates walking around Brooklyn, NY at night, especially this late. It was really reckless of him to stay at the library all night when he had to open shop in the morning. And what's worse is he left empty handed. He'd been there all day and found nothing. Absolutely nothing. He shakes his head at the thought.

It happened, it did. He remembers the incident as if it happened yesterday. The man taking him from his winter home. The way he demanded his daughter to murder him. The way his daughter refused. And saved him. His guardian angel saved him. You don't just forget that kind of thing.

But you can make it up.

No! He couldn't have made it up. It had to have happened. He might be slightly off his rocker, but not enough to create an entire incident like that. If he had, then his whole trip to the library was a waste of time. Hell, a big part of his life would be a waste of time! And if that's true he's been infatuated with a girl that's not even real. Well, that would explain why he liked her so much when they "met".

Still the thought of being wrapped in a white jacket and thrown in a padded cell for the rest of his life doesn't exactly appeal to Gabriel.

A winter breeze whips through his hair and plays against his cheeks. He probably should've worn something heavier than a simple jacket. Then again, he didn't expect to be out this late either. Oh well, too late.

Gabriel shivers as a snowflake falls down the back of his shirt. He lifts up the collar of his jacket to keep any other wandering flakes from doing the same. The small, melted snowflake draws a path down his back. It really isn't helping the hairs on the back of his neck go down. Everything's so quiet. That's not usual for Brooklyn, even at night. There's always some kind of noise. An alley cat meowing. A gutter leaking quiet droplets onto the pavement. There's always something.

But now there's not. There's not even wind!

The snow's falling silently. The only sound Gabriel can hear is the slight crunching of fallen snow under his shoes. He let's out a shuddered breath, the steam momentarily blurring his vision. His pace slows as he glances around at his surroundings, listening.

Crash! Gabriel nearly loses his balance when a couple of trash cans fall over a few feet away from him, making him jump. The crash echos through the air, reverberating off of alleyway walls and in the streets. He jerks to examine the cause of the noise. His eyes fall upon the knocked over garbage cans, over flowed trash pouring out of them. He cocks his head.

Gabriel feels the urge tiptoe closer. No!, the logic in his head yells at him, You run away from loud noises! Do you want to end up like those dummies in horror movies! Another voice reaches out to him, one more dangerous, darker, Take the risk. For some reason those few words win out, and he continues walking into the alleyway.

Gabriel calls into the dark alley, "Hello?". His knees dampen as he kneels in the snow, searching for the cause of the ruckus. He jumps when the cans closest to him start to vibrate. He tries to jump to his feet but instead of shooting up and running he loses his balance. His behind hits the concrete with a sickening crack and an excruciating pain shoots up his spine. He shuts his eyes tightly as he grips his lower back.

"Ouch..." he groans, opening his eyes. His eyes jerk open completely and his body tenses as he watches the cans shake more violently. He can hear something slowly, quietly sneak out from behind them...

Meow.

Gabriel finally let's the cold air into his lungs. Just a cat. Wow, he freaked out over a cat. How lame is that?

He pats his leg, singing sweet calls to the feline. His hand still trembles with the aftershock. The cat purrs a little as it trots up to him. It soothes it's dark coat against his outstretched palm. So what if its a black cat? It's not like Gabriel believes in that sort of thing...

"Hey you." Gabriel nearly gives himself whiplash as he jerks his head to look at the voice. He stares at the man in confusion. This is not the time or place to be confused. It's twelve in the morning on a cold winters day. Better yet, he's in a dark alleyway. Great.

"Whatcha doin'?" The man steps out into the moonlight. He's a tall man, nearly as tall as Gabriel himself. His skin is pale, dirt scuffed against his cheek. He, like Gabriel, was dressed in unsuited attire for the weather. A hole gapes through his faded jeans. He doesn't seem very friendly. He's sure seems sneaky though...

"Um," Gabriel stutters quietly, "nothing really. I was just...curious." He stumbles to his feet, "Uh, I'll be on my way now." Gabriel begins half running, half staggering away, but is halted by a single sound. A click. It's small, you wouldn't have been able to hear it if the night hadn't been so silent. Gabriel can recognize that kind if sound anywhere.

It's a gun being cocked.


	3. A Past Savior

A Past Savior

What has he gotten himself into?

The man shoves Gabriel into the snow, his glasses flipping off his face and onto the ground beneath him. The man might be shorter than himself, but a gun easily makes him superior. Gabriel pushes himself up to run, but is stilled by the weapon before he gets too far. The man presses the gun harder against the back of his victims heads, "Give me everything you have!"

When Gabriel said he left empty handed, he was serious. He doesn't have a single penny on him at the moment. He would really like to explain this to the man standing behind him, but his tongue seems to have stops working at the moment. Gabriel raises his arms slowly, showing he has nothing.

The man doesn't understand the gesture. "Well?" he demands, "Give me what you have!" Gabriel shrinks into himself, trying his best to get away from the man, but every time he moves the man pushes the gun harder onto his head. This wasn't good.

"I don't have anything..." Gabriel pleads quietly, "Just, please, let me go..." There's a pause, and Gabriel thinks that maybe, just maybe, he might make it out of this situation. Maybe the man'll just let him go unharmed.

Suddenly, Gabriel feels a cold hand around the back of his neck as the man pulls him closer to his face. "Well then," he whispers into Gabriel's ear, "I guess I don't have much use for you." Gabriel shivers at the icy voice and a word pops into his head, 'Kill'.

The man pushes Gabriel into the snow again, the gun is pressed to the back of his head. "Do you know what I can use you for?" the man asks. Gabriel tries to think of a reply that would satisfy the man. He can't find one. Not a single one. Gabriel hears the man's wicked smirk.

"You can be my target."

Gabriel's eyes widen and his breathing stops. So this is it. This is the end. What are people going to say at his funeral. 'He was a great man'?. Not really. He lived in Brooklyn for all of his adult life. He works as a watchmaker. And that's it. That's pathetic. His life can't come to this. He was made for so much more. Thats always what his mother told him. And this is how he dies? Killed over a lack of money? How sad. He closes his eyes and waits.

Bang! The sound echos through the alley for everyone to hear.

Everyone, including Gabriel. He opens his eyes slowly to stare into white. Did he die? Is this what the light looks like? No, this is snow. He blinks. His head jerks around to the man. He backs up slightly, his facial expression that of someone who had just seen a ghost. "What the heck?" he mumbles glancing around the alley.

Then his eyes lock on Gabriel. "What did you do?" he demands pointing the gun at the man on the ground. Gabriel's hands fly up as he stares at the gun, confused, "I didn't do anything!" The man closes in on him."You had to have done something!" he yells at him, "If you didn't then how did-"

A blur of sea green and navy shoots passed the front of the man, knocking both men back a bit with the air it kicks up. The man gasps as he looks at his hand with the gun in it. Or where the gun used to be. "What the-!" the man exclaims just as the same blur flies back, only this time landing a punch on the man's face.

He falls backwards with a thunk as he hits the pavement, holding his nose in pain. Gabriel blinks again at the man, unsure of how to react. Maybe he had been knocked unconscious earlier and all of this was in his head. That had to be right. Otherwise, how could this be happening? Had he fallen into Wonderland?

The man screams angrily, a blood covered fist pumping into the night. His nose seems to have stopped bleeding, but just as it does the same thing comes running back to punch the man in the face again. He groans painfully into the ground for a moment before jumping to his feet and yelling, "You wanna piece of me! Why don't you try that agai-"

The thing complies. It punches the man with great force before he could even finish, making his nose pour liquid again. The man immediately fights back, his arms swinging for the thing as in runs circles around him, hitting him every which way. He spins to chase it and just as he goes for a hard swing the thing rams a fist into his ribs, stopping momentarily to watch the effect. As the man cringes and grabs at his abdominal region Gabriel sees the thing for less than a second.

He can't make much out, but there's one thing he can tell for sure: it's human. Just as he verifies the observation it flies a punch onto the man's back. He falls to the ground with a small grunt and lays there, not moving.

Everything's silent again.

Gabriel looks around for the human, but there's no one in sight. The man still lays face down on the pavement. Is he dead? Gabriel can't tell. How is he supposed to tell, it's not like he checks to see if people are alive for a living.

He pauses for a few more moments before getting to his feet. Though a bit wobbly from the previous he manages not to fall down again. He glances around the alley.

What the heck just happened? How did he get from walking home to victim to witness and then to this. What the heck? There's slight blood splatter tainting the snow nearest to him.

Clank. Gabriel whips around to the source of the noise. He looks in time to see someone standing in a few feet away, but before he can evaluate anything more he, for about the third time that night, comes crashing down behind first onto the pavement. He growls in pain, sucking on his bottom lip, now bleeding from a bite wound that he had accidentally caused himself from the fall.

After a moment, his mind gets back on track. He spins his head around to look at the person in confusion, but instead of turning to the mysterious stranger he comes face to face with...

Nothing. There's nothing there. A lack of sound echoes through the street.

Gabriel shakes his head, there was something there, there was someone there. He wasn't going crazy, oh no. He can't be. He's a watchmaker, you can't be a watchmaker and insane at the same time. Maybe the cold was getting to him, that and lack of sleep. Yeah, that's it, that's gotta be it.

Clatter! He jumps at the sound. This night just won't stop. Is it trying to give him a heart attack? His eyes dart around the street ahead of him, searching for the source of the loud bang. Suddenly, it comes again. A huge clamper, as if something big had hit something else. Could that thing have returned?

Then he spots it. Movement. He glances at one of the buildings, it's door wide open, slowly closing with a hiss of released air. And is that store right across from his own watch shop...?

"Hey!"

Gabriel whirls around quickly to the voice, too quickly. He once again loses his balance and comes into contact with the ground once more.

"Ow..."

"Are you okay?"

Gabriel feels hands on his face and gasps. Where has he felt that warmth before; warmth yet not warm, cool yet not cold. As if a flame were hiding inside. The hands gently pull his chin up to stare in shock at the owner of them. Though his glasses are still laying somewhere around the alley his eyes are able to focus enough to make out one feature. His mouth falls open with astonishment as he takes in what he sees; a twenty-something year olds eyes. Wise. Experienced. And a deep blue.


	4. Is She, or Is She Not?

**Authors Note: Okay, so I was thinking today about, you know, Sylar. And that's when a thought came to mind: How does he see? I mean, Gabriel had glasses. Did he get contacts? Then something occurred to me. Gabriel took his glass off when Chandra walks in... And then it hit me, hard. I wear contacts for my nearsightedness. But Gabriel Gray probably wears his for farsightedness! I slapped myself when I figured it out. And because I don't want to go back and re-post my previous chapters I decided to keep it as is. But from now on, Gabriel wears his glasses for his farsightedness. :)**

**Also, for the same reason mentioned above, I want inform you that Gabriel has a sister named Katherine. She's two years junior to him and is his adoptive sibling. As in Virginia took her in as well as Gabriel. She might be mentioned in future chapters, and doesn't actually appear until the third season. She's not my original character, though, she's my friend's. She's written a few stories focused on her, but she won't post them. They're really good, so I'm going to continue to patronize her until she gets them up. ;D**

Is She, or Is She Not?

"Are you alright?"

Gabriel continues to stare open mouthed at the woman in front of him. She cocks her head slightly to the left, her expression displaying concern.

"Hey, are you alright?", she asks again, "He didn't hurt you, did he?" She sounds worried, a tone Gabriel doesn't hear too much even from his closest friends. He finds it intriguing that this stranger would take up such a tone. Or not a stranger. An acquaintance, yes, but not a total stranger. She's his hero.

Reality suddenly hits Gabriel, the logical gears in his mind finally turning. What is he doing? What is the possibility that the same girl he had been researching an hour or two ago just so happens to be walking around Brooklyn in the dead of night? Even if she had seen what had unfolded in the alleyway, what is the likelihood that she'd save him? It's just not probable, and Gabriel agrees that he's insane for believing it could be. That doesn't happen in the real world.

Still, there's a small pain in his chest, a yearning for the fantasy to be real. He wishes so much that the world could be like this, that the woman in front of him is who he envisions. He wishes with his heart, but denies any hope with his head. The thought is stupid, illogical. It can't happen, it can't be.

"Hey!" the woman wakes him from his reverie, her voice tinged with annoyance, "Are you okay!" Gabriel blinks awkwardly. He has a feeling that he's been out of it for several moments, no doubt making the area uncomfortable for her. "Uh," he stammers, "yeah, I guess. Sorry." She stares at him for second, her eyebrows furrowed in irritation, lips-oh, lips- pressed forward into a pout, before she lets out a sigh. Gabriel thinks that it sounds relieved, another sure sign that she had been worried about him.

"It's fine." she says, her head bowing, "I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm sorry." Now she's apologizing, he thinks, This night just keeps getting weirder. He shakes his head, "No, it's okay. Don't apologize, please." She tips her head up a little, just so much so that Gabriel can see her blue eyes staring at him through the dark bangs in her face. The eyes, they seem brighter to Gabriel than before. The edges of his lips upturn into a reassuring smile.

She raises her head again, a sad sweet smile slipping onto her own face. That smile. Gabriel's sure he's seen it before. But no, she's not that girl. She can't be. The doubt he has about his previous conclusion grows.

Her eyebrows furrow again, "Are you sure you're okay?" He has to stop zoning out. She stares at him for the answer. Well, he physically feels fine, his mental stability on the other hand he fears is questionable. But why worry her with doubts and fears? He grins, "Yeah, I'm fine. A bit shaky from the..." he searches for a word, "incident a moment ago, but otherwise alright."

She smiles lightly and nods, "Good." And the alleyway goes into an awkward silence again. He doesn't know what to say. Or do. So he just sits, freezing in the snow, watching the woman ahead of him breathe gently in and out.

Her smile fades as the moment stretches on. She glances around the area and Gabriel can sense her discomfort. He rolls his shoulders forward, then back. Oh God, she thinks I'm a freak, he thinks as he grins awkwardly, She's going to try and make up an excuse to leave. As if she really needs an excuse. He can see it now, 'I have to be somewhere right now, at one in the morning…'

Just as Gabriel predicts, the woman opens her mouth to says something, but is halted. Her lips closes slowly as a look of realization spreads across her expression. Gabriel's thick eyebrows furrow curiously, "Wha-"

He gasps as the woman suddenly leans forward, putting her hands on his knees for support, and places her face inches away from his own. Time hangs as she stares at him. Her eyes look into him, the blue in their irises bright and glowing with curiosity and wonder. An odd scent wafts up to his nose; it smells...sweet. Calming, like lavender. But something else, too. It's almost musky. Seductive.

Her stare is unblinking and frankly it's making Gabriel uncomfortable. She's so close he realizes for the first time that her blue eyes are actually tainted with a deep green near the pupils. Interesting...

She squints her eyes and stretches her neck to get closer to Gabriel, Gabriel reflexively leaning back to avoid getting conked on the head. He blinks, having to go cross-eyed to see her face now. She cocks her head, examining his facial features. Gabriel imagines for a moment that she leans even closer and kisses him and he gasps at how the thought makes his stomach flip in anticipation.

But instead of going nearer, she lays back into a normal sitting position again, the curious expression on her face not leaving. She raises one eyebrow and tilts her head to the opposite side. It reminds Gabriel of a puppy. Her eyes look over him, watching him, inspecting him, noting little things about him.

What was she thinking? Gabriel would really like to know. He can see the gears turning in her head, like the pieces of a watch, all working for one common goal. One question, what's that goal?

"Do I know you?" she asks. Gabriel's breath hitches.

Could this be her? He opens his mouth to answer, but before he can he notices her eyes go up to look at his hair. A wave of self-consciousness washes over him. Does she disapprove? She suddenly reaches out a hand. Gabriel flinches slightly when it nears his face, but she doesn't seem to notice. The hand brushes his forehead lightly as fingers pull a fallen piece of hair out of his face and smoothes it back into place gently. Her hand then comes down, and the back of her fingers slide soothingly down his cheek before pulling away.

Gabriel feels his face heat up with the feel of her soft fingers against his slightly stubbly cheek. He prays she doesn't see him. But, of course, she does. Her face splits into an amused grin and she giggles. Gabriel's stomach fills with butterflies at the light, joyous sound. His face turns maroon.

She spies something in her peripheral vision and turns her face to it. Gabriel's too frozen-both literally and metaphorically-to follow her gaze. She goes up on her knees to reach for the object. When she pulls back, Gabriel sees something familiar in her hand: his thick-rimmed glasses. That's where they had gone. She opens the frames and looks through them, then looks up at Gabriel. "Are these yours?", she asks, motioning to the glasses.

"Uh, um, yeah.", Gabriel stutters. He reaches for them, but before he can get a hold she pulls them away. He looks up at her, confused. She gives him this look, a strange glint coming to her eyes as she smiles mischievously, "Let me do it." She brings the open frames up to her mouth and breathes on the lenses, fogging them, before wiping away the vapor and any impurities with her sea green wide-necked sweatshirt. She brings them to her face again to test the clarity. When they pass the test, she switches them around in her hands and places them on Gabriel's face, pushing them back on the bridge of his nose with her index finger. His eyes once again go cross-eyed to watch the tip of her appendage.

He readjusts his eyes when he hears her giggle again, finding this humorous. His stomach flip flops again at the sound and he can't help but grin at the fact he made her laugh. They sit there for a moment, smiles spread across their faces. Her grin slowly fades in energy until she's staring at Gabriel contently, her lips curled into a sweet smile. She looks so beautiful, like an angel, snow falling around her, straight dark locks framing her face, deep blue eyes seeing through to his soul. Gabriel...feels something. A warmth within him, he's not sure what it is. It feels...nice. Somehow, though he's not sure how, this stranger is able to provoke emotions in him he's seldom felt before in his life. It's an odd thought, an odd feeling, but welcome nonetheless.

She inspects him again, her eyes roaming up and down his body in curiosity. They fall upon his jacket and her expression changes into that of concern, "You must be freezing." Oh, yeah. Gabriel had actually forgotten about his unsuited attire of a small jacket and thin khaki pants, but now that it's brought to his attention again he feels a dull pain in his legs. He flinches with the sensation.

"Yeah," he mutters, "I am. It's cold, I wasn't planning on being out this late. I got caught up at the library." She nods knowingly, "Ah, the place of eternal knowledge. That happens to me a lot, too." Her reassuring smile makes him feel better, despite the cold. "Yeah." he says confidently, "Good to know."

They stay silent for a moment before the woman rises to her feet. She goes behind Gabriel and helps him up. His legs ache more as he stretches them, the hurt from lack of movement and warmth makes him force out a painful grunt. The woman glances at him, concerned once again, as she slips under his arm and holds his waist to support him. He smiles down at her.

Gabriel notes her height, she's not too short. Actually she's quite tall for a woman, the top of her head coming up to about his nose. Most girls only make it to his shoulder, if that. Hm, height, once again something to admire.

She helps him to walk across the street. Gabriel's not really sure where they're going, but it's no doubt better than out in the early winter night. He trusts her to take care of him. That's odd, him putting his trust in someone he just met. He glimpses her out of the corner of his eye. Her posture, the way her chin is held, seems...different. Not in a bad way, actually quite the opposite, he likes it. He admires it. He admires her. He doesn't care if she didn't save his life fifteen years ago, that doesn't matter. In spite of his lack of knowledge of her, he believes she's extraordinary.

"Thank you." Gabriel breathes just loud enough for the woman under his arm to hear. He watches her smile and, to his surprise, a slight flush comes to her cheeks. This makes him grin with her; he's not the only shy one. She bites her bottom lip and the hand not wrapped around his body goes to her chest to touch something and Gabriel's breath hitches. Catching the light, a small glistening pendant at the end of a gold chain twirls between her fingers.

He'd recognize that necklace anywhere, the length, the luster, the color all giving it away.

So she is his past savior.


End file.
